Zion Williamson: The case for and against UNC
Class of 2018 recruit Zion Williamson will make his decision on Saturday, here’s the case for picking UNC
Zion Williamson is one of the most exciting and coveted high school prospects since Lebron James.
After a lengthy recruiting process, the 2018 5-star forward is finally set to make his college decision this Saturday, January 20th. 247 Sports currently has Williamson as the third overall player in the nation.
Although he has stated his recruitment is still wide open, most believe Williamson is down to six schools: North Carolina, Kentucky, Clemson, Kansas, Duke, and South Carolina.
UNC already has a very good 2018 recruiting class, made up of 5-star forward Nassir Little, 5-star guard Coby White, and 4-star guard Rechon “Leaky” Black.
The addition of Williamson would make this the best class Roy Williams has secured in years.
The case for Williamson choosing UNC
UNC has been heavily involved in Williamson’s recruitment for over a year and a half, and gave him an offer earlier than any other out of state school in his final six. On top of that, Roy Williams has put a tremendous amount of effort in his recruitment, prioritizing Williamson over other targets.
Williamson will remember the lengths UNC went to recruit him on decision day.
Out of Williamson’s final six schools, Carolina fits his style of play best. The 6-6, 270-pound forward’s athleticism and explosiveness would be a perfect fit in Roy Williams’ high paced, transition offense. From a basketball standpoint alone, Williamson choosing Carolina would be a win-win situation for both parties involved.
Despite the fact that Williamson’s stepfather played basketball at Clemson, and South Carolina is his home state, the highly touted recruit has stated he does not feel any pressure to stay in-state according to Evan Daniels of Scout.
“I don’t really feel pressure with that,” Williamson said. ” I can’t just go to a school to be a local hero, I have to go to the school that is best for me. If I don’t go to an in-state school, if they are real supporters, they will support me wherever I go.”
This quote certainly shoots down the rumors that Williamson is a lock to stay in-state, and it reiterates that his recruitment is wide open.
Another factor in Carolina’s favor is the relationship Nassir Little has with Williamson. In a November article for Inside Carolina, Little said he is “Going hard after Zion.” Little added, “Me and him are pretty close. I’ve been texting him every day to see how he’s been feeling. That’s the guy I’ve been after.”
The case against Williamson choosing UNC
Zion Williamson may have stated he does not feel pressure to attend an in-state school, but staying home has to be an appealing option for the five-star forward.
At either Clemson or South Carolina, Williamson would get a guaranteed starting spot, likely be the main scoring option, and he would get to be a hometown hero.
Williamson has several really good options, but, in his eyes these may be his best two.
Even if Williamson does decide to go out-of-state, Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke are better suited for a player like him. Because of his talent, Williamson will likely be a one and done player.
Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke have mastered the art of renting players for several months, then watching them walk off to the NBA.
Because of this, those schools have become even more attractive options for recruits. Despite the success in recent years of schools like UNC, Villanova, and Gonzaga, most top recruits have preferred to attend the one and done factories instead.
If he chooses not to stay in-state, there is a very good chance Williamson follows this trend.
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Do you think Zion Williamson will decide to come to UNC? Let us know in the comments below!